🇯🇵 take me to japan pls 🇯🇵

a simple don topped with a generous amount of salmon & scallops!

the star of the dish was no doubt the scallops, with a rich smoky flavour from the searing. the best part was definitely the small dollop of truffle on each piece, which added a fragrant aroma and a rich umami flavour to the pieces. honestly super duper yummy 😋

honestly the salmon was quite mediocre. it was slightly cooked on some sides but distinctly lacking the charred aburi flavour one would expect from the flame searing (though this was definitely present in the scallops!). i’m guessing they only torched the top of the bowl, such that mostly the scallops and very little salmon pieces were torched. what a shame :-(

would come back for the scallops 👍🏻

$17 (but 1 for 1 with burpple beyond!) | 7/10

the garlic truffle chirashi don comprised cubed raw seafood atop a bed of fluffy japanese pearl rice. this was topped with a liberal amount of truffle sauce and garnished with garlick chips. i appreciated the variety of seafood (with salmon, octopus, tuna etc.) and the rather generous portion given. ingredients were of decent quality, though definitely not the best/freshest around. (ps. i asked them to leave out the roe!)

truffle sauce was slightly disappointing in that it lacked a prominent truffle flavour and was more creamy and mayo-like instead. i did enjoy the garlic chips though, which added texture and a fragrant flavour to the dish. if you are a purist, you may not be a fan haha; this is really fusion rather than traditional japanese food.

got to give a shout out to the beautiful decor and interior at omote! love the traditional japanese patterns mixed with modern notes of gold and marble—really pretty :-)

$21.90++ which is slightly pricey! | 6.5/10 🌟

this was quality salmon sashimi atop fluffy japanese rice—simple and basic but well-executed. 😋 the sashimi slices were sliced just right (not too thin and not too thick as well) and there was a rather generous amount. the tobiko and tamago were good additions as well, adding texture to the don.

definitely satisfied my sashimi cravings :-,) overall, watami is a good place for quality japanese food at relatively reasonable prices.

$15.90++ | 8/10

if i’m not wrong, this was the jumbo rosu katsu! there was a huge portion of tonkatsu, coated in a light crispy batter that was really tasty. pork could have been a little bit more juicy though. shredded cabbage was fresh and a great side to complement the meat. overall, definitely a very satisfying meal.

7.5/10 🌟

this was the regular portion, which was generous enough & affordably priced at $14.80++. probably the best value-for-money unagi around! the unagi was soft, tender & sweet. wish there was a bit more char to the unagi though. there were 3 suggested ways of enjoying the unagi, which was interesting, but to be honest i preferred just eating it straight with rice 😂 worth a visit!

$14.80++ | 8/10 🌟

this was the lobster sashimi, scallop & tuna chutoro (if i remember correctly). all three were fresh with a natural sweetness. the lobster was especially succulent. ✨

this was the main course of the dinner omakase ✨ fried rice had a deep smoky flavour with a generous portion of fresh uni & roe.

overall, this was a really amazing & special dining experience ☺️ the ingredients are all really fresh & premium (especially the seafood — fresh from japan!). there are many courses with a good variety of ingredients and cooking styles, all executed with close attention to detail. definitely worth it. 💫

tsukumen with original broth and 3x noodle upsize! doesn’t look like a lot but trust me, it was a substantial portion. definitely finishable though if you’re a big eater :-) original broth was not bad, less salty than the black garlic one i think though nothing to shout about. noodles were springy and tasty. great value for money if you have a big appetite 😋

6.5/10 ⭐️

a well-executed truffle yakiniku don with a generous serving of beef. beef was slightly rare & tender, with a strong truffle flavour. quite good overall, although nothing hugely impressive.

situated at the national design center, the restaurant has a nice ambience. great for catching up with friends!

$18++ | 7/10 ✨

sliced sashimi, tamago, unagi and roe atop a bowl of rice. a pretty decent and affordable bowl with good variety. quality of sashimi was not the best, but decent considering the price. among the fish, the tender and sweet unagi stood out. overall, quite standard japanese fare.

6/10 ⭐️

decent bowl of tsukumen with a salty garlic broth. noodles were well-cooked and had a nice bite. comes with a side too (like gyoza). they were running a free 2x upsize promotion so the portion was really generous 😊

6/10 ⭐️

the lunch sets were pretty affordable and tasty! beef udon came with a very generous amount of thinly sliced, tender pieces of beef, which were really tasty and no doubt the best part. udon was also pretty good with a good chew to the noodle. the only gripe might be that the soup was a little too salty for my liking.

friend ordered the chicken cutlet, which was not bad as well and seemed like a pretty popular choice amongst customers.

great value for money with the student meal specials and good quality food! will come back 😺

$10.90 beef udon hotpot | 7.5/10 🌟